Thanks
by The Green Pilgrim
Summary: Just supposing that those who got sent home after 'Day of Reckoning' didn't get a chance to rejoin the X-men. A random bit about Jubilee. On Thanksgiving. Oh happy day...


A/N: Um… Another contest thing! Yey! This is very random. I don't know what it is, I don't know why I wrote it, I'm not particularly proud of it, but here it is anyway. Enjoy.

As a reference, I personally think that Jubilee is about fourteen on Evolution, so at this moment she'd be nineteen, just out of high school, and not to keen about going to college.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone used here. Seriously, even the made up characters technically belong to my friend who helped me with the names…

~*~Thanks~*~

Jubilation Lee blew gently on her nails where a hot pink varnish was just settling. She kept her fingers firmly spread apart, palms down on the table before her. Any sudden movements could throw off an entire ten-minute's break of work…

"JUBILATION!"

"Gah--!" Jubilee nearly toppled over in her chair, with reflexes just quick enough she latched her hands onto the table and pulled herself upright. She looked at her nails, dismay flashing through her eyes as her face naturally formed into a scowl. Two smears on her index finger and a glob on her pinky- _awful._

The madman guilty for this obstrocity was Tse Ho yen, owner of Golden Bowl Chinese Food where Jubilee made six bucks an hour letting business men and tourists boss her around.

"JUBILEE!"

"I'm coming!" She shouted back. With a frustrated sigh, she stood up, shoving her chair back under the table as she did so. She quickly sealed the nail polish bottled and shoved in her apron pocket. She'd have to fix her nails later. No doubt Tse Ho had found some disgusting task or another for her complete in that grease trap he called a kitchen…

The overweight, Chinese man was tapping his foot impatiently by the time she stepped through the swinging door. In the corner, Jinsu Liang stooped over a deep fryer. He was tall, gangly with thick glasses, and as of now the only other employee at Golden Bowl. Jubilee had fragmented conversations with him only when necessary; considering he couldn't speak English and her Chinese was limited to 'Hello', 'How are you?' and a rather colourful display of swear-words.

"Jubilation." Tse Ho began, his accent butchering the name in her opinion. "I tell you so many times to clean up here before closing. Every time you just go home! Every time! I don't care that I know your father! Do it again, and you FIRED! Understand?"

She crossed her arms and scowled in response. Maybe if he fired her, her parents would realize that she was a lost cause and never force her to get a job again. 

"I said, do you understand?" He repeated slower, trying to be intimidating but only succeeding in spitting as he spoke. Jubilee wrinkled her nose as she wiped a hand across her forehead.

"Perfectly." She answered. 

Ten minutes later, Tse Ho had left the two teens to deal with any later customers and closing up- just as he did every night. He had never struck Jubilee as a family man, so she often wondered just where he went at the end of the day. Spending the money she _should be getting as a raise on booze seemed like the most likely answer._

It was three minutes after ten, and she was out front stacking chairs. Technically, closing time wasn't for another hour, but they'd had two customers all day and it was pretty unlikely they'd get another this late. She tucked her hair behind her ears before continuing her methodical motions. _Lift-flip-place. Lift-flip-place. Lift-flip—_

"Jubilee?" A timid voice called from the back of the restaurant. It had a thick accent, but this time she didn't mind the pronunciation. It wasn't spiteful or seemingly done on purpose such as when Tse Ho addressed her…

She turned to see Jinsu balancing from one foot to the other (and no wonder, he'd been standing for hours) his apron slung over his shoulder as he watched her.

"Yeah?" She replied. This was odd. Even when they were left alone together each night, the two barely spoke. She'd go about her business, waiting on customers or straightening up. He'd cook or clean up the food. They both leave, she'd lock the door, and they would go their separate ways without so much as a glance at each other. It was no wonder he seemed nervous to be making conversation…

"I…" He creased his forehead, searching for the words. "I leave. I must leave."

She raised an eyebrow, asking "Where are you going?" without thinking.

"M-my family. It… Thanksgiving, yes?" He looked so hopeful. 

Jubilee froze. Thanksgiving? Was it really? She'd forgotten completely! Not that she'd had anything to remind her. Both of her parents were on a business trip and wouldn't be returning for a week, as for her day it had been just like every other day since she started working at the Golden Bowl- long, greasy, and lacking of anything she would consider being thankful for. 

She shook her head clear of her thoughts, noticing Jinsu was getting extremely nervous.

"Well, what are ya asking me for?" She answered. His forehead creased, obviously he hadn't understood. With a sigh, she finally put down the chair she'd been holding and walked over to him. 

"Go ahead." She said with an exaggerated gesture to the door. "It's OKAY." 

He blinked before nodding. "Okay? Okay! Thank you, Jubilee!" He grinned, striding happily to the exit. Before the little bells on the door could jingle, he turned around. "Joi geen!" He said. "And… Happy Thanksgiving!" Looking happier than she'd ever seen him, he opened the door and walked out into the night. 

"Happy Thanksgiving…" She mumbled. She was alone.

She looked at the chair she'd just set down- it wasn't pushed under a table, or neatly placed on top. It was crooked. She sat down. 

_"Yo, Jubilee! Pass the stuffing, will ya?"_

_"Get your own damn stuffing, Iceboy!"_

_"Jubilee, watch your language…"_

_"Sorry, Miss Ororo."_

_"Rahne, I don't get it, your thin as a stick. How much turkey can you possibly eat?"_

_"You'd be surprised…"_

_"I bet I can eat more than you!"_

_"Is that so?"_

_"Kids, there's plenty to go around..."_

_"There might not be when Kurt's done…"_

_"Hey!"_

She could picture it all easily- two long picnic tables sitting out on the seemingly endless grounds at the Xavier Institute. A free for all war opening out for the pounds and pounds of food weighing down said tables. And everyone was eating and laughing and talking.  One Thanksgiving. The only one worth remembering, in her opinion. Shakily, she stood up and began to stack the chair- the last one before she'd have to go and clean up the kitchen.

The bells jingled. 

"You still open?" A hoarse voice called. She looked up to see a girl no older than her standing in the doorway. In one hand was a small suitcase covered in a large array of stickers. 

Jubilee glanced at the clock- five minutes to eleven. How long had she been sitting there? 

"Sure." She answered. She approached the girl. "What can I get for you?"

"Anything that's warm? Maybe some pork fried rice… or dumplings." She answered, using her free arm to pull up the collar of her coat. Jubilee looked her up and down. She was a petite girl, much as she was, and from the looks of it pretty skinny. Probably not interested in the balls of fat Tse Ho liked to call dumplings.

"You sure about that? I mean… you just don't seem the type to—"

The girl laughed. "You'd be surprised."

Something clicked inside of Jubilee. She watched the other girl a moment, blue eyes boring into her green. Then they shifted down to the suitcase. Among the many stickers featuring various cities was a clear symbol- a small red circle with an 'X' in the middle. 

"You're going back." She muttered, almost in a daze.

"Sorry?" The girl replied, now looking like she regretted her decision of coming there after all.

Jubilee only shook her head and smiled. "You're going back… and I'm coming with you." And she grinned this time, not a small sad smile, or a smirk, or a scowl, but a true grin. Probably her first since all those years ago…

The girl's head perked, eyes widening. Her suitcase crashed to the floor as she pelted forward to envelope her friend into a hug.

"I… I didn't even… I thought…" She stuttered, unable to make a coherent sentence.

Jubilee just grinned hugging her back. "Happy Thanksgiving, Rahne."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Jubilee."

FIN

Post A/N: Righto, that was weird. And random. Drop me a review anyway, won't you? Happy Thanksgiving, kids!

~*~


End file.
